


Big Sister's Home

by phantomthief_fee



Category: BioShock 1 & 2 (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, And a regular human lady, Body Horror, But they've both got vengeance on the brain, I wanted to write a Big Sister, Implied/Referenced Brainwashing, Implied/Referenced Torture, Psychological Torture, So I'm writing a Big Sister, Wrongful Imprisonment
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-17
Updated: 2019-12-08
Packaged: 2020-01-13 16:00:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18472264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phantomthief_fee/pseuds/phantomthief_fee
Summary: Augustus Sinclair hadn't expected anyone he'd wronged to ever be able to hurt him. Unfortunately for him, one survived the war.





	1. Chapter 1

Augustus Sinclair had no illusions about the kind of man he was. He’d done what he had to in order to survive. That was what mattered. Good men didn’t make it down in Rapture. Sure, he’d cheated people out of money, sold prisoners like cattle, but compared to what others had done, his crimes didn’t look so bad. Besides, it wasn’t like he’d personally killed anyone. He was a businessman. And yet, all his wealth and power hadn’t protected him when Rapture had fallen. He’d even been kicked out of his own prison by Lamb and her people. In retrospect, _maybe_ he should have been nicer to people. _Maybe_ he shouldn’t have been so ruthless. His nose wrinkled at the thought. No, that was complete bullshit. Good men didn’t survive in the world. To get by, you had to be ruthless. You couldn’t have attachments. Caring about people would only drag you down. But Sinclair knew how to pretend. How to make people think he cared when he didn’t. This act fooled most people, but it didn’t fool Brigid Tenenbaum.

“I will not ask you to care about him.” She’d said when she’d come to him with her proposition. “All I ask is that you guide him.” Sinclair wasn’t thrilled about the prospect of playing babysitter for a reanimated Alpha Series Big Daddy, but helping the big brute was the only way he was getting out of this shithole. Besides, he figured he could make some good money on the surface selling the secrets of Rapture. So, here he was, guiding Delta through Ryan Amusements so that the Big Daddy could get to the train and get them both out of there. Sinclair was rather looking forward to getting out of Ryan Amusements. It wasn’t like anywhere in Rapture was _pleasant_ to be in, but Ryan Amusements was bad in the sense that Sinclair had to suffer through Ryan’s bullshit speeches every time someone bumped the buttons on the attractions. He was beginning to run low on food too, and the last time he’d gone out and tried to scavenge he’d almost been killed by Splicers. He’d never been particularly adept at combat, even in his younger days, but he **really** wasn’t in any shape for it now. He needed food and he needed protection, and he was confident that everything would be easier once he had Delta with him. Delta could deal with the splicers, keeping Sinclair safe and collecting food when Sinclair needed it. He was the perfect underling. So long as Sinclair kept himself on the Big Daddy’s good side, everything was going to smooth sailing from here on out.

He watched through the feed he’d rigged up as the Big Daddy progressed through the park. It had located a Little Sister and was collecting ADAM to be able to afford the Incinerate to get them out. Sinclair was just as happy not to have to look at the Sister, though. Those things had always creeped him out with how cheerful they were all the time. He knew it was part of their conditioning, but it was damn unsettling. They were barely even human at this point. Better to just harvest them and put them out of their misery. He winced as the button for one of the exhibits was bumped and Ryan’s spiel began once more. He was starting to get tired of hearing that bastard’s voice. It had been bad enough having to listen to Ryan drone on when he’d been alive. The man had been so full of himself. Thankfully, the sound of gunfire and Delta’s roar quickly drowned out Ryan’s drivel. It wasn’t better, but it was preferable to Ryan. The Little Sister had found another corpse full of ADAM. This one would probably give Delta almost enough to get Incinerate. Sinclair didn’t want to look at the corpse, however. He still wasn’t comfortable with the death all around him. He didn’t think he ever would be.

“All right, chief, we’ve almost got enough ADAM now.” Sinclair switched on the radio once the Little Sister had been picked up once more. “To get the rest, you’ll have to take care o’ that Little Sister. There should be one of the air vents they favor in the workshop. Bring her down there.”

Delta made its way dutifully toward the workshop, accidentally pressing a few more exhibit buttons and beginning Ryan’s tirade once more. Something about scientists and artists. It all just blurred together after a while. Sinclair stifled a groan, rolling his eyes.

“I cannot wait to get out of here.” He muttered, shifting a bit to get a more comfortable position. He should have grabbed a pillow or something to sit on the last time he’d gone out to get food. As Delta approached the workshop, Sinclair switched on the radio again.

“Now, Tenenbaum would have ya turn that Sister human again. You’ll get just enough ADAM for our purposes, an’ the girls’ll likely try to repay ya somehow.” He said. “But Rapture’s a high-stakes town, son – an’ she’s a jackpot. You just have to be willin’ to take it all. You’ll harvest more ADAM than the price of one Plasmid…so the rest is gravy. Think about it…Down here, it’s your survival or hers.” He didn’t know how much Delta remembered about Rapture, but he needed to make sure the Big Daddy knew what the situation was. There was no room to be soft-hearted in a place like this. Good men didn’t last long. If Delta wanted to survive this, he couldn’t be a good man. Sinclair shook his head, quickly dispelling the thought. Delta wasn’t a man. Not anymore. It was nothing but a walking corpse in a diving suit. It didn’t have a conscience. It didn’t have thoughts or feelings. Alexander and Suchong had seen to that.

As such, Sinclair thought he knew how this situation would go. Delta would harvest the Sister, get the Plasmid, and they’d be on their way. Simple as that. The brute had been made to follow orders. Sinclair hadn’t given an order, but it had been a strongly worded suggestion. But Delta didn’t harvest the little girl. It…No… **He** saved the girl. How wonderful. The Big Daddy _did_ have a conscience.

“Well, our tin man had a heart all along. Personally, I call that a liability – but you have enough ADAM now…barely.” Sinclair spoke into the radio, trying to hide his irritation. “Head to the Hall of the Future an’ splice up with Incinerate.” He switched off the radio, rolling his eyes again. Great, he just had to get stuck with the one brute who seemed to have some semblance of humanity left in him. Oh well, he could handle it. Delta seemed fine with killing the splicers. That was what mattered. So what if the Big Daddy wanted to save some little brats? It wasn’t like they’d be carting the little creatures around themselves. They’d get sent off to Tenenbaum and he’d never have to see them again.

“Just a little longer.” He said to himself. He’d be out of here soon. And then he’d have the powers of the world at his feet, clambering for the secrets he held. Sinclair allowed himself a smug smile. Ryan and Fontaine had thought themselves so clever. But who was the one left standing after the dust had settled? Him. Not them. Him. He’d survived the war and he’d survive this too. For the moment, though, all he could do was wait for Delta to find Incinerate.

Suddenly, he felt the muzzle of a gun pressing into the back of his head, breaking his self-satisfied reverie.

“Turn around. Slowly.” His assailant said. For a moment, Sinclair was afraid that he’d been found by a splicer. But…No. The voice addressing him was calm and self-assured. Not, he decided, the voice of a splicer looking for their next Adam fix. This, however, brought about a terrifying realization. If it wasn’t a splicer, that meant someone had come looking for him. He was well aware he’d made quite a lot of enemies. Admittedly, most of them were probably dead by now, but if one had survived…He turned around slowly to behold who had tracked him down. He was puzzled by who he found. The person holding a gun to his head was a young woman, maybe 30 at the very most. She was short and stocky, dressed in men’s clothing with her dark hair cut close to her head. Her hair and skin were dark, darker still due to the dirt and debris caking each. She looked to be Indian. At least, that was Sinclair’s guess. He was going mostly off the nose. The lack of sunlight had left her skin looking rather ashy, but he imagined she would be darker in the sunlight. She was as dirty and disheveled as he would have expected from another survivor. He wasn’t looking so great himself.  

“I don’t expect you remember me.” She said, pulling back the hammer of the gun. “But I remember you.” She was right. He didn’t remember her. His first instinct was to lie to her through his teeth. But he got the feeling lying wouldn’t do him too many favors in this case.  

“I’m terribly sorry, my dear, but your face isn’t familiar to me. I do think I’d remember meeting a lady as lovely as you.” Sinclair gave her what he hoped was a dashing smile. It was hard to be charismatic when he had a gun to his head.

“That’s what I thought.” The woman remained calm, but he could see her jaw clenching a bit. Evidently, she’d hoped he would remember.

“You have to understand, darlin’, I’ve had dealings with a great deal of-” He was cut off as the woman pressed the gun harder into his forehead.

“No more excuses.” She growled. “You don’t get to talk your way out of this. Not after all you’ve done.”

“Could I at least know the name of my executioner?” Sinclair asked. For a moment, the woman’s face went blank. Then she smiled tightly.

“It’s Lakshmi. Lakshmi Locke.”

Sinclair immediately felt his stomach drop. He hadn’t recognized her face, it had been over a decade since he’d last seen her after all, but he knew that name. He didn’t remember every dealing he’d ever had, but little Lakshmi had been an anomaly. There hadn’t been too many teenage girls who’d come to make deals with him. At the time, he’d congratulated himself on acquiring what had essentially been free labor. He’d paid her for her work at the prison, and the majority of that money came back to him for her rent at the Sinclair Deluxe and the payoff to allow her to take care of her parents. He’d known about her hatred of him. She’d never made it a secret. At the time, it had been intensely amusing. It was much less amusing now that she had a gun to his head.

“So, you _do_ remember me.” Lakshmi’s smile widened upon seeing Sinclair’s face go pale, the expression taking on a decidedly sinister edge. “I suppose I should feel… _honored_.”

“N-Now, Miss Locke-”

“No. No excuses. No pretty words.” She growled. “I’ve waited ten years for this moment. You’re finally going to pay. Pay for everything you did. To me. To my family. To everyone who ever passed through that damned prison.” Sinclair fell silent. Part of him had known the consequences of his actions would eventually catch up with him. But he’d let his pride blind him to the possibility that there might still be those out there who had an ax to grind with him. He’d assumed everyone who could hurt him was dead or driven mad by ADAM. Aside from Lamb, of course.

Face to face with the woman who was going to kill him, Sinclair was struck by how different his death was going to be than what he’d expected. He was going to die alone, dirty, and penniless. Not exactly what he’d expected. Although, it wasn’t as though he’d thought about his death too much. Still, he’d thought he’d go out in a mansion or something. Maybe surrounded by beautiful women. He closed his eyes, resigning himself to his fate and waiting for the inevitable gunshot. But it didn’t come. He opened his eyes, only to find Lakshmi turning away from him, withdrawing her gun. To his horror, he found a Big Sister standing mere feet away. She wasn’t attacking, though. She and Lakshmi were talking quietly. It was a miracle the Big Sister could talk quietly with her helmet still on. After a moment, Lakshmi sighed and turned back to him.

“It looks like it’s your lucky day.” She looked less than pleased with this, but she was putting her weapon away.

“Pardon?”

“Louise says you’re guiding Delta out of here. You _are_ guiding him, right?” Lakshmi put one hand on her hip, gesturing to the video feed behind him. 

“I…I am.” Sinclair nodded shakily. “Why?”

“Then we’ll help.” She said. “I can kill you when we reach the surface.” Sinclair stared at her for a moment, dumbfounded.

“Wipe that stupid look off your face.” Lakshmi’s expression twisted to one of annoyance. “I’m not going to kill you if it means jeopardizing someone else’s chance to get out of this shithole. Besides, I remember Delta. He’s a good man.”

“You _remember_ him?” Sinclair asked, but he was brushed aside.

“Tell Delta we’re helping,” Lakshmi said, holstering her gun. The Big Sister just stared at him. At least, he assumed she was staring. He couldn’t tell with her helmet on. Tentatively, Sinclair reached for the radio, switching it on.

“Looks like you’re gonna be getting some help, chief.” He tried to sound as jovial as he usually did. “A few friends of mine just dropped by and they say they want to help. Isn’t that just dandy?” He didn’t get an answer from the Big Daddy, not that he’d expected one. Tenenbaum, however, did jump into the feed. Judging from the audio quality, she was on the move.

“Friends?” She asked. “You do not have friends, Herr Sinclair.”

“Doctor Tenenbaum!” Lakshmi’s face lit up and she grabbed the radio. “How are you? It’s been so long!”

“Fräulein Locke?”

“Yeah, it’s me!” Lakshmi said. “It’s been a few years, huh? What are you doing back here? I heard you left with a bunch of the Little Sisters.”

“I did,” Tenenbaum replied. “But Lamb is creating new Little Ones, and I could not let that continue.”

“That’s fair.” Lakshmi nodded, her smile falling as she glanced back at the Big Sister behind her. “No one else should be put through that.”

“Yes.” Tenenbaum agreed, her tone grave. “I am afraid I do not have long to speak, but I must know if you have found your sister.”

“I did. She’s with me right now. She’s, um, she’s one of those Big Sisters. But I broke through her brainwashing, so she’s okay.”

“That is good. I do not know if I can cure her, but I will do my best should we see each other again.”

“It’s good to hear from you again.” Lakshmi smiled softly.

“And you as well. Your help will be much appreciated.”

“Is there somewhere we should go when we get out?” Lakshmi dug a pad of paper out of her pocket.

“Yes. I know of someone who can help you.” Tenenbaum replied before listing an address. Lakshmi made a vague noise of affirmative, scribbling it down.

“Alright. Thank you.” She said. “Good luck on your mission.”

“You as well. I hope I shall see you again soon.” Then Tenenbaum’s end of the feed cut off. Lakshmi threw the radio at Sinclair, putting the paper back into her pocket.

“Alright. So. What is he doing?” Lakshmi asked, striding up to Sinclair’s setup.

“He’s probably getting Incinerate. The train out of here is blocked by ice.” The Big Sister spoke up. Her voice was high and clear, a sickening reminder that the creature before Sinclair was, in fact, a young woman. She had a soft New Orleans drawl to her voice, which stood in stark contrast to Lakshmi’s own flat Midwestern accent.

“Mm. Makes sense.” Lakshmi nodded. Before she could say anything else, an ear-splitting screech ripped through the air.

“Fuck!” Lakshmi stumbled back. “It’s a Big Sister!” The Big Sister (Lakshmi had called her Louise, hadn’t she?) stepped closer to her. He could see her body tensing as though she were preparing for a fight.

“You don’t think he’ll kill her, do you?” A hint of fear entered her voice.

“I don’t see why that would matter.” Sinclair had managed to regain his composure by this point, adjusting his tie. “Those girls are practically rabid animals. Putting her out of her misery would be a kindness.” Almost immediately, he knew he’d said the wrong thing. The light in Louise’s helmet turned red and Lakshmi’s expression darkened considerably.

“If you know what’s good for you, Sinclair, you won’t say something like that again.” Lakshmi’s hand rested on the gun at her hip. She’d tucked it into her waistband, so it was still within reach. Despite being shorter than him, Sinclair knew she could probably overpower him rather easily.

“You’ll have to forgive me, I’ve never met a Big Sister before.” He managed a nervous smile, putting his hands up. “The ones I’ve encountered haven’t been much for conversation.”

“Yeah, brainwashing’ll do that,” Lakshmi said flatly.

Sinclair swallowed, turning his attention back to the feed. Delta had just managed to best the Big Sister, judging by the crumpled body on the ground in front of the Big Daddy. Louise let out a small whimper at this sight. Sinclair cleared his throat, trying to calm his nerves.

“Holy Moses, son - - not even a Big Sister can keep you down!” He crowed into the radio. “Well, come on back and melt the ice, an’ we can say goodbye to this two-bit carny ride.” He couldn’t wait to get out of here. He switched the radio off, letting his bravado fade. Behind him, the two women began to speak.

“Did you know her?” Lakshmi asked quietly. He heard fabric rustling, assuming Lakshmi was putting a hand on Louise’s shoulder.

“I don’t know. We don’t have identification marks like the Alpha Big Daddies do.” Louise replied. “But…I probably did.” She sounded almost on the verge of tears. Sinclair kept his gaze on the feed. Best not to get involved. He couldn’t risk stepping over any other lines. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Delta melting the ice.

“Outstandin’ sport. You’re provin’ to be quite a windfall.” He said. “Now just open the train tunnel from the security booth there, and I’ll come out an’ jump on.” He glanced back at his new companions. “Time to move, ladies.”

“Great.” Lakshmi took out her gun again.

As soon as the switch was pulled, the three of them left Sinclair’s hiding place, descending onto the train platform. Sinclair made a beeline for the train car while Lakshmi and Louise scanned the area for any kind of threat. They were certain Lamb wouldn’t let them just leave so easily. At least, she wasn’t about to let Delta leave so easily. Sinclair stopped in front of the train booth, waving to Delta inside.

“I like to look a man in the eye when I give him my word.” He said, giving the Big Daddy as charming a smile as he was capable of making. “You and me, kid – we’re goin’ places!”

“Just get in the car.” Lakshmi snapped.

“How rude.” Sinclair put a hand to his heart. “I simply wanted to thank my fearless rescuer.”

“Sure you did,” Lakshmi said flatly. “Now get in.” Sinclair turned back to Delta, giving a shrug that was likely supposed to say ‘what can you do’, and followed the woman into the train car. Louise stayed where she was, her whole body tensed. Something didn’t feel right. Sure enough, splicers began to drop from the ceiling and pour out of the doors. Lamb knew where they were.

“That bitch.” Lakshmi spat, watching through the window as the splicers assembled. Sinclair fumbled for his radio, hastily switching it on.

“Lamb was waitin’ for us! Come out shootin’ and start the train!” He yelled. He didn’t like situations where he wasn’t in control. He had no weapons, no way to defend himself against the oncoming tide of Lamb’s splicers. If they got into the train, it was over for him. Thankfully, Lakshmi was barricading the doors. Outside, Louise was protecting the train and Delta was fighting his way out of the train booth. The second the splicers began to assemble, Louise let out a bone-chilling screech and started attacking.

“Why’s she attacking us?!” One splicer screamed, stumbling away from her. “Doctor Lamb said Big Sisters are supposed to protect us!”

“That thing must have brainwashed her!” Another roared, pointing to Delta. “We have to save her!” Louise responded by stabbing him through the chest. She was done being someone else’s puppet and tired of listening to adults drone on like they knew what was best. The adults had ruined Rapture and ruined her. Lamb and her “family” didn’t care about her. They just cared about what she could do for them. They didn’t even know her name. Didn’t even know what she looked like.

Watching Louise fight was a sight to behold. Like all other Big Sisters, she darted around, jumping and flipping with the grace and ease of a dancer. It was almost beautiful, in some strangely horrifying way. As Delta watched her, it was as though he was watching a ballerina on a stage. For a moment, Delta was somewhere he didn’t recognize. A darkened theater, sitting in a seat and watching the ballerinas dance across the polished wooden stage. Someone was holding his hand. But the moment was quickly broken as Louise appeared right in front of him, dispatching a splicer who’d been about to strike at him from behind.

“Stay on guard.” She said. Delta gave a vague grunt of recognition.

With the two of them working together, they made quick work of Lamb’s makeshift army. Both were left breathing heavily, covered in blood and the blowback from various Plasmids.

“Are you two alright?” Lakshmi poked her head out of the train car.

“I’m fine.” Louise nodded, looking over at Delta. “Are you?” Delta nodded as well, although he made a noise of concern and touched Louise’s arm.

“What?” She looked down. “Oh, this? It’s just a scratch. It’ll heal soon.” Delta made another concerned noise, touching the gash in her suit.

“Really, it’s fine.” Louise insisted.

“Big Sister’s are made of heartier stuff than your average splicer. Just give the girl some time and she’ll be right as rain.” Now that the danger had passed, Sinclair showed his face once more, swaggering out as though he hadn’t been cowering behind a box while Lakshmi kept the doors closed.

“He’s right,” Louise said, patting Delta’s arm. “I just need to sew up the suit and everything will be fine.”

“Let’s get a move on,” Lakshmi said. “Lamb might send more splicers.” Delta regarded Lakshmi cautiously but nodded and entered the train, the others filing in behind him. The door closed and the train set off.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A memory of a time long past, and the reason for a woman's hatred

_She could hear the jingling of his keys even before he made it to her floor. She gritted her teeth, keeping her back to the corridor as she continued trying to spoon feed the woman in the cell. It was easier to just call the prisoner before her ‘the woman’. She didn’t want to think of the woman as her mother. The creature didn’t even resemble her mother anymore. Her mother had been a beautiful and vibrant woman, strong in her convictions and kind to all those her met her. This woman was nothing but a shell of a human being. Her skin was covered in sores and boils, the majority of her hair had fallen out, and she could only see out of one eye. The dirty dress she wore barely covered her emaciated frame, and it was peppered with various stains of dubious origin. Although, it might have been a bit generous to call the garment a dress._

_“Come on, you have to eat.” She urged her, holding the spoon out. She technically had nothing to fear from **him**  or the guards when it came to feeding her mother. She was paying him to let her come here and take care of them, after all. But still...She couldn’t help but worry that  **he**  would decide that what she was giving him wasn’t enough, and cut off her access to her mother. Her mother’s gaze wandered listlessly around the cell. _

_“Please, for your daughter?” She begged. Sometimes that worked. Sometimes bringing herself into it was enough to urge her mother to eat, to keep her strength up. Sometimes it brought her mother back to her, just for a moment._

_“My daughter. Where’s my daughter?” Her mother rasped, quickly becoming frantic. “Lakshmi! Lakshmi, where are you?! What have you bastards done to her?!”_

_“I’m right here.” Lakshmi put down the spoon for a moment, trying to calm her mother with her touch. “Mom, I’m right here. It’s fine.” Sometimes touch worked. Sometimes her mother would hold her hands and that would be enough to bring her back to reality for a moment. But her mother wouldn’t listen this time. She began thrashing about, trying desperately to stand with muscles that had long since been atrophied and bones that had long since been broken. It was a pitiful sight. Lakshmi sighed, shoulders slumping. She picked up the bowl of gruel and left the cell, trying to wipe away the tears that were springing up as she locked the door behind her._

_It had been a rough day, all things considering. First, her father, now this. She could hear some of the doctors nearby discussing ‘Subject Gamma’, as if they weren’t discussing her father. Worse still, Doctor Alexander’s voice was among them. She’d known ever since her parents had been imprisoned here that the time would come that her father would be brought into the bonding room. But she’d foolishly hoped he’d die before then. That the plasmids would take him before they could turn him into a monster. She could still see his face, spliced beyond recognition, as he reached out to her and made that Big Daddy moan. She took a deep, shaking breath, trying to keep herself from breaking down again. She was already in thin ice for the display in the bonding room. She couldn’t give them any more reason to try and get her fired. She was only here because she was paying **him**. She was only barely tolerated. _

_“Evening, gentleman.” The voice behind her immediately got her attention. **His**  voice. She turned around very slowly, her hands shaking. Augustus Sinclair stood at the end of the hall, conversing with a few of the doctors. Just seeing him made her blood boil. He had a big ring of keys hanging from the belt of his elegantly tailored suit, even though he never actually used them when he graced them all with his presence. His eyes were hidden by a pair of cherry red sunglasses, and a cigarette dangled from his smirking lips. She could almost imagine devil horns peeking from his slicked hair and a forked tail curling around his leg. _

_Around them, the inmates had noticed Sinclair’s presence. Some were screaming, begging for him to release them. Others spewed profanities, shaking the bars on their cells. Her mother hadn’t even noticed Sinclair’s was there, still wailing for the daughter standing right in front of her. She just stood there, staring at him. Her nails bit into the flesh of her palms as she clenched her fists. She could feel that she was drawing blood. He looked so damn smug. He’d ruined her life. He’d ruined other people’s lives. He extorted and blackmailed and took and took and took and **she hated him**. Ryan had given the order to take her parents away, but Sinclair was the one who’d imprisoned them. He was the one who’d sold them to the plasmid trials and the Big Daddy program. People suffered under him and he enjoyed every second of it. She had to pay him to be able to take care of her own parents!_

_“Can I help you, darlin’?”_

_Evidently, she’d been staring long enough for Sinclair to notice her. He’d turned away from the doctors, directing a languid smile in her direction. Immediately, she ducked her head, avoiding eye contact with him._

_“No, sir.” She said through gritted teeth. She wanted to tell him exactly how he could help her. By crawling into a hole and dying. Along with the rest of Rapture’s elite._

_“Well then, carry on.” He made a dismissive gesture with his hand. His smile had widened upon seeing the anger in her eyes. No matter how much she hated him, she couldn’t even lay a finger on him. He held the power here, and they both knew it._

_“Of course, sir.” She started to walk away but was stopped._

_“Ah, Miss Locke!” Dr. Alexander stepped away from the others to catch her wrist. “I wanted to talk to you about your behavior in the bonding room.” Her blood ran cold. No. She didn’t want to talk about this while Sinclair could hear. She didn’t want him privy to her pain. She prayed Sinclair would leave, would find someplace else he needed to be. But he stayed where he was, watching them and smiling as if he didn’t have a care in the world. His cigarette smoke formed a cloud around his head, almost like a perverse halo._

_“Yes, sir.” She refused to maintain eye contact with Alexander, her cheeks burning with shame. Everyone was watching them._

_“I was rather disappointed, I must admit. I’ve always considered you to be a very professional employee.” Alexander continued._

_“Professional.” One of the guards snorted. “She’s, what, 13? How professional can a kid be?” She was 15 and he knew it. She’d told him after he’d slapped her ass and told her to come by his guard station sometime. People always said she was ‘developed’ for her age._

_“My apologies.” She mumbled, keeping her gaze firmly on the floor. “I don’t know what came over me.” If she was lucky, they wouldn’t remember “Subject Gamma’s” name. They wouldn’t make the connection._

_“You must understand something, Miss Locke, these subjects aren’t people anymore.” Alexander put a hand on her shoulder, his tone almost paternal. She found it incredibly patronizing. “Their sacrifice is necessary for the prosperity of Rapture. You mustn't feel pity for them. They forfeited their humanity a long time ago.” Her nails were digging deeper into her palms. It was becoming painful now. Their sacrifice was necessary, he said. They’d forfeited their humanity, he said. More like he’d taken it from them. People like Alexander and Suchong had stolen away the humanity of so many people. They’d stolen away Louise’s humanity, too._

_“Do you understand, Miss Locke?” She glanced up. Alexander was staring down at her, a pitying look in his eyes. She wondered how much of what he’d said had come from Lamb. Behind him, Sinclair was still watching with great interest. He was probably getting off on this, sick bastard._

_“Go on, sweetheart, give the man an answer.” Sinclair took a drag of his cigarette, blowing out towards her. She swallowed and nodded. She couldn’t bring herself to give Alexander any positive acknowledgment._

_“Miss Locke, I need you to say you understand,” Alexander said._

_“I…heard you.”_

_“I suppose that will have to be enough.” Alexander drew back. “I trust this won’t happen again?”_

_“It won’t, sir.”_

_And with that, Alexander walked away with the other doctors. But Sinclair stayed, still watching her with a smile._

_“So your name is Locke, is it?”_

_“...It is.” She had a sinking feeling that he knew exactly who she was._

_“You wouldn’t happen to be related to Mrs. Adelaide Locke, would you?” He strode forward to stand in front of her mother’s cell. Her mother had tired herself out and was slumped on the ground, her chest rising and falling the only sign that she was still alive. Her glassy eyes stared at the dirty tiled floor, smeared with her own excrement._

_“She’s my mother.” Lying wouldn’t do her any good. But then again, he already knew this._

_“Ah, so **you’re**  Lakshmi.” He laughed softly. “Nice to finally put a face to the name that comes with those payments.” Technically speaking, since she had a personal connection to the prisoners, she shouldn’t have been allowed to work there. But when there was money involved, Sinclair was willing to overlook her connection. Ryan probably wouldn’t care either, so long as she was working to further the Great Chain or whatever. It was all bullshit, anyway._

_“I’m guessing ‘Subject Gamma’ is your father, then.”_

_“He used to be.” She said quietly._

_“Sorry, kid.” Sinclair strode forward to put a hand on her shoulder. There was no warmth in the gesture, nor his smile. “It hurts losing people you care about, but if you ask me, you’re better off without them. The world’s cruel. People like you and me? We need to look out for ourselves.” Lakshmi took no comfort nor meaning from his words. In her eyes, he was nothing but another rich white man abusing his power._

_“Yes, sir.” She answered._

_“Attagirl.” Sinclair gave her a wink and patted her back. “I look forward to continuing to work with you.”_

_“Yes, sir.” She repeated. It was the best response she had when faced with authority figures._

_He watched as she walked away. She could feel his eyes on her back. She made sure she was away from anyone who could see her before melting down. She threw the bowl and spoon against a wall, screaming as she destroyed everything she could reach. She’d have to clean it up, but she didn’t care.  She screamed at the top of her lungs before collapsing to the ground, crying._

_Why?! Why were things like this?! Her parents had come here to escape this kind of thing! Rapture was supposed to be better! It was supposed to be different! But it was just like the surface! No, worse than the surface! Down here, there was no one to keep the tyrants in check. They were running the show._

_Eventually, one of the orderlies found her in the middle of the destruction. Luckily, it was one of the kinder ones. He'd told her she reminded him of his teenage daughter. He sighed, walking over and hoisting her up._

_“C’mon, girl, let’s get you out of here.” He said._

_“Just let me stay here.” She muttered, completely ragdolling._

_“ **Locke**.” She winced at the use of her last name. Almost no one ever called her by her first name, it was too hard to pronounce apparently, but people calling her by her last name always made her feel like she was in trouble. _

_“Come on.” He softened his voice. “You gotta get back to work. The warden’s got a special assignment for you.”_

_“A…special assignment?” Her eyes widened. Special assignments never meant good things for anyone in Persephone._

_“Someone needs to bring Topside his food and he’s attacked the last few people who tried.” The orderly explained. “I guess they thought, well, y’know. You’re a kid. He’s not gonna hurt you.”_

_“Oh.” Well, that wasn’t so bad. She had to admit, she was a little curious about the man everyone called Johnny Topside. She’d read about him in the papers like everyone else, heard about his imprisonment in Persephone, but he was kept in Inner Persephone. She’d never been that deep before._

_“You don’t have to go if you don’t want to.” The orderly said, clearly trying to be comforting._

_“I do.” She licked her lips nervously. “I can’t lose this job.” She did actually work in the prison. She was only paying Sinclair to let her **take care** of her parents. And the money had to come from somewhere. It was a vicious cycle. Sinclair paid her for her work, and she paid him to make sure she could keep her parents safe. Not that that had stopped him from selling them to Fontaine as guinea pigs. _

_“...You’re right.” The orderly sighed. “Alright, go on. Get to it. I’ll clean this up.” Lakshmi nodded, taking a deep breath before heading out to get the food to bring down to Topside. She could only hope that the higher-ups were right, and that he didn’t attack her._


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the train, tempers flare as old grudges come bubbling up

The mood on the train was…tense. Delta was driving the train, so he was up front, which left Louise, Lakshmi, and Sinclair sitting in one of the cars. There weren’t exactly seats, those seemed to have been stripped from the car long ago, so they were sitting on the floor. It…wasn’t pleasant. Lakshmi hadn’t stopped glaring at Sinclair since they’d gotten on, which was making everyone uncomfortable. Louise kept glancing in the direction of the control booth, fidgeting a bit at the oppressive silence. She’d never been particularly good at confrontation, even before all this. She wasn’t particularly bothered by Sinclair’s presence, but she would rather have been up front with Delta. It had been so long since she’d been around a Big Daddy. Sinclair himself was desperately wishing he could be anywhere but where he currently was. Given that Lakshmi too was an ordinary human, she would likely be staying in the train car while Delta and Louise went out and completed the various tasks necessary for them to progress. He expected she still had quite a lot she wanted to say to him and wasn’t particularly looking forward to the tirade. Why hadn’t she just shot him when she had the chance? Death would have been a mercy compared to this.

“So, how have you been?” Sinclair asked, forcing a smile. He knew immediately from the darkening of Lakshmi’s expression that this had been the wrong thing to say. For fuck’s sake. He should have just kept his mouth shut. But the silence had been unbearable.

“Well, there was a civil war and now the city’s run by a cult, none of whom I get along with.” Her lip curled in a sneer. “How do you think I’ve been?”

“Not well, I’m assuming.” Despite his better judgment, Sinclair kept speaking. Lakshmi rolled her eyes, muttering something under her breath.

“No, I haven’t been doing well.” She replied.

“I’ll be right back,” Louise whispered to Lakshmi before getting up and departing the car, oblivious to Sinclair’s panicked glances. The door closed behind her and Sinclair was alone with the woman who wanted to kill him. Sinclair took a few deep shaking breaths, trying to calm himself. He didn’t feel any shame from his fear. He was a coward and he knew it. But he would rather have not been panicking while someone was watching. It was just embarrassing. He’d put a lot of work into his persona and he hated ruining it.

“I’m not going to kill you when we’re in the middle of this, so you can stop looking at me like I’m some kind of maniac.” Lakshmi’s voice drew his attention back to her. She’d leaned back against the wall of the car, hands behind her head. She was still watching him, though.

“You…aren’t?” Sinclair said slowly, his brow furrowing in confusion.

“No.” Lakshmi narrowed her eyes. “Delta would be upset if I just killed you without warning down here. He doesn’t know what you’ve done.”

“Well, that’s awful kind of you.” Sinclair’s smile returned. “I can’t thank you-”

“Don’t start thanking me.” She cut him off, holding up a hand. “I still plan to kill you and I’m going to make sure Delta knows exactly what a scumbag you are. You get to live until we get to the surface.”

“Small mercies.” Sinclair managed a small shrug.

Lakshmi snorted derisively. “Yeah, it’s definitely a mercy.”

Now that he was confident Lakshmi wasn’t going to immediately kill him, Sinclair allowed himself to relax, although his mind was quickly beginning to form plans. Lakshmi was a kind-hearted woman, which could easily be used against her. He’d find some way to get her to not kill him. After all, they were going to be spending a lot of time together. Plus, she’d said it herself, Delta liked him. And she would do anything for Delta, wouldn’t she? Because he reminded her of her dearly departed father. He stared out the window, smiling vaguely to himself as he watched the ocean outside.

“You know, I think I’ll be quite glad if I never see the ocean again after this.” He remarked. “I’ve had enough time underwater to last me a lifetime.”

“I never want to see a diving suit again once I get to the surface,” Lakshmi said. Her hand went to her chest, presumably to touch something under her shirt.

“Well, you’ll have to see one for a little bit longer.” Sinclair let out a laugh. “Unless you’d like to see what Delta looks like under that helmet. I doubt he’s much of a looker anymore.” Lakshmi didn’t reply, staring down at the ground. She had a far off look in her eyes, as though her mind were elsewhere. Ah, right. She’d probably already seen what the Big Daddies looked like under those helmets.

They lapsed into silence. Sinclair stared out the window and Lakshmi stared at the floor. After a moment or two, Sinclair started humming to himself. It had been ages since he’d been able to listen to music. He was going to enjoy being able to do that once he got to the surface.

“Do you regret any of it?”

Sinclair looked back at Lakshmi. Her voice had been soft enough that he almost hadn’t heard her.  

“Pardon?”

“Do you regret any of it?” Lakshmi repeated. The anger in her eyes hadn’t exactly softened…But it seemed the fire had dimmed a bit. She looked tired now, resigned. He supposed dealing with that kind of anger all the time would eventually exhaust a person’s emotional resources.

“I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re referring to.” He flashed her one of his signature smiles, making sure to show her his teeth.

“Bullshit.” She replied without batting an eye. “You know exactly what I’m talking about.” Sinclair smiled wider, forcing himself to keep up the façade. Sure, Lakshmi could see through it, but he wasn’t willing to let it go. He wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction of tearing down what he’d worked so hard to build.

“I did what I had to to survive down here.” He said. What right did she have to judge him? She knew how hard it was to get by in this world. She’d seen firsthand the horrors this world could hold. Come to think of it, he’d probably prepared her for the Rapture civil war. Her time in Persephone had hardened her, no doubt.

“Really? You did what you **had** to?” Lakshmi’s expression darkened. “You **had** to run a gulag and extort people for money? You **had** to sell people like cattle? You **had** to exploit poor people for cheap labor?”

“The world ain’t fair-” Sinclair began, but Lakshmi cut him off.

“Oh, don’t you start with that ‘ _the world isn’t fair_ ’ bullshit!” She snapped, standing abruptly up. “That’s all any of you assholes ever say! It doesn’t justify **anything** any of you did!”

“Now, darlin’.” He put one hand up, scooting frantically back. “Let’s not blow this out of propo-”

“How am I blowing things out of proportion?!” Her face twisted in a snarl. “You sold people to Fontaine’s program like they were cattle! You made people pay for the privilege of having nicer cells! You exploited people for free labor! YOUR TOYS HAD NEEDLES IN THEM!”

“If I hadn’t done it, someone else would have.” He insisted. “That’s the nature of the world. Survival of the fittest and all that.” She had him backed against a crate now. He was getting a bit nervous. She’d said she wouldn’t kill him, but she looked to be getting rather riled up. Her shoulders rose and fell rapidly as she sucked in breath after breath through gritted teeth.

“I simply filled a need. It’s basic supply and demand.” He continued, growing bolder due to her lack of response. “Ryan wanted to lock people up, so I made a prison. Fontaine needed test subjects, so I gave him some. All I did was give people what they wanted. You can’t fault me for taking advantage of an opportunity.”

“Was that all they were to you? Opportunities?” Lakshmi demanded. “Were my parents just opportunities to make a quick buck?!” Unshed tears were glittering in her eyes now. She wasn’t a 26-year-old woman at that moment, but an angry 15-year-old girl with years of unresolved anger and frustration.

“It wasn’t anythin’ personal, you gotta understand.”

“It wasn’t anything personal.” She scoffed derisively. “Like that makes it any better.” She turned away from him, stalking back to where she’d been sitting.

“You know, I was **actually** worried you might have learned something.” She sat back down, a sneer painted across her features. “You had years to think about what you did. To take a good hard look at yourself and change your ways. But nope!” She spread her hands out with an almost demented grin. “You’re the same heartless bastard you always were! Good to know assholes like you never change! Certainly makes me feel better about wanting to kill you!” She let her hands fall, the smile shifting back to a murderous frown.

“You know, I’ve heard it’s not healthy to hold on to anger.” Sinclair ventured after a moment or two of silence.

“Sure beats rolling over and letting people walk all over me.” Lakshmi narrowed her eyes. “We’ll be getting to the next station soon. Let’s just not talk until then.”

“Now that sounds just dandy.”

.

“Can I sit with you?” Delta started a bit at Louise’s voice. He’d been trying to reclaim the memory he’d seen when he’d watched her fight. The one with the ballerina.

“I’m sorry.” She put up her hands. “Did I startle you?” Delta let out a small rumble, but shook his head. He gestured for her to sit down. She hesitated, wringing her hands and nervously twisting her lips. She’d taken off her helmet, allowing him to see her face for the first time. She was a pretty African-American girl, her features soft and delicate. The lack of sunlight had left her skin ashy in color, but it would probably be beautiful once she got some sun. She looked like the sort who would wear pretty floral dresses and ribbons in her hair. She had always been a bit of a girly girl. She liked dresses and ribbons and pretty things, although she’d never had much of the latter. The Big Sister jumpsuit wasn’t the sort of attire she was fond of. She couldn’t wait to get to the surface and wear proper clothes again. She was older now, so she could probably wear the kind of dresses she’d seen in the magazines.

“It’s…been a while since I’ve been around a Big Daddy.” She said sheepishly. “I hope you don’t mind.” Delta again gestured for her to sit. Louise hesitated once more but eventually did sit, curling up in his lap like a little girl in her father’s arms. Had Delta been normal sized, this might have been awkward due to Louise’s height. But they were both unnaturally tall, so it was alright.

“Is this okay?” She asked quietly, looking up at him. He nodded.

“Okay.” Louise smiled, resting her head against his chest. Delta wondered if he’d wanted children when he’d been normal. He wasn’t sure if the deep protectiveness he felt toward the sisters and Eleanor was his own or a product of the conversion process. Either way…It felt right. To want to protect these girls. It was obvious that Louise at least needed some emotional protection that her sister couldn’t provide.

“I don’t remember much about him.” Louise suddenly said. “My Big Daddy, I mean.” Delta tilted his head to the side, letting out a questioning rumble as if asking her to tell him more.

“I don’t know who he was before.” She continued. “Lakshmi doesn’t either. She wasn’t allowed near the Big Daddy candidates most of the time. I guess Sinclair didn’t want her trying to break her dad out.” She hunched her shoulders a bit, burrowing closer to him.

“I always saw my Big Daddy as my real daddy. So…I never knew I was alone.” She looked on the verge of tears. Delta’s groan was concerned as he patted her head.

“I miss my parents.” Louise whimpered. Despite her size, she looked so small and fragile. Just a little girl who’d been put through Hell by the people who were supposed to keep her safe. Delta began to gently stroke her hair, doing the hum that all Big Daddies seemed capable of. Low and deep, the sound vibrated through his chest. Louise closed her eyes, humming along with him. Her voice was too high and clear to harmonize perfectly, but their voices went well together. Delta could almost pretend he was holding Eleanor if he closed his eyes. But she wasn’t Eleanor. And he wasn’t her father.

“Thank you,” Louise said, opening her eyes. He imagined she had lovely eyes. They were big and framed perfectly by her long eyelashes. But they were yellow, with no iris or pupil. Just an all-consuming yellow. Delta made a questioning noise, not entirely understanding why she would thank him.

“For letting me cuddle you.” Louise clarified. “I needed that. I think you did too.” He patted her head, smiling behind his helmet. He liked her. She seemed like such a sweet girl.

“Can I see your face?” She asked, touching the porthole on the helmet. Delta hesitated. He imagined he didn’t look too appealing. He didn’t remember much about the process that had led up to him becoming a Big Daddy, but he was sure it had done a number on his looks. Would Louise find him horrifying? Would she scream? Would Eleanor hate him if she saw him?

“Please?” Louise begged, batting her eyelashes. He relented, clumsily removing the helmet and placing it on the floor. He waited to see what Louise’s reaction would be. She stared at him, eyes scanning his features curiously. She cupped his face in her hands, rubbing her thumbs over his scars.

“Eleanor’ll love you!” She finally announced with a big grin. “You’re so handsome!” Delta was sure he didn’t believe here. But her words made him feel better. He patted her head again before putting his helmet back on.

“Thank you again for letting me sit with you,” Louise said as she clambered off his lap. “I didn’t want to be around while Lakshmi yelled at Mr. Sinclair. She gets pretty scary when she’s angry.” Delta made another questioning noise.

“Are you wondering why she’s mad at him?” Louise asked, tilting her head to the side. He nodded.

“Well…I don’t think it’s my story to tell.” She smiled apologetically. “She’ll probably tell you later. But he did a lot of bad stuff to her parents. And…Probably to you.” Delta frowned, but before he could question her further, he found they were pulling into the station.

“Oh! Here’s Pauper’s Drop!” Louise exclaimed. “I used to live here with my parents! Aunt Grace is probably still here! She’ll be so happy to see me! I just know she will!” Delta looked out at the station. He hoped that this Grace person was nice. He needed to meet more nice people.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The abominations of science encounter someone our dear Big Sister used to know

“I wonder if my parents are still here. I mean, I don’t know where else they would have gone. There aren’t that many places to go down here, especially with all the Splicers around. It can be so dangerous. Even if my parents aren’t here, though, Aunt Grace probably will be! I’ve missed her so much. She took care of me and Lakshmi a lot because my parents had to work and Lakshmi’s parents…weren’t around. But she’s the best! She has a wonderful voice and she’s so nice! But she’s really tough too! There were a bunch of times when she really gave it to people who thought they could walk all over her!” Delta listened to Louise chatter on as she tugged him toward the door. He couldn’t help but be a bit worried about her. She seemed so happy and positive and…well…He’d seen what Rapture did to happy and positive people.

“Hey, Lou?” Lakshmi put a hand on her sister’s shoulder, stopping her just short of the exit.

Before pulling into the station, she’d finally asked Sinclair just what exactly Delta was supposed to be doing, as she’d realized she didn’t actually know what she was helping with. The knowledge that they were helping to free Eleanor from Lamb’s influence had strengthened her resolve to see this through, but it had also brought up some…unfortunate realizations.

“Yeah?” Louise looked back at her. Delta stopped as well since Louise had stopped dragging him.

“Aunt Grace…” Lakshmi hesitated, eyes darting back and forth, looking everywhere but at Louise. “You’re going to hear her say a lot of bad things to Delta. I just…You need to be prepared for that.”

“Why would she say bad things to Delta?” Louise asked. She had her helmet on, so none of them could see her face, but Lakshmi at least could tell from her voice that Louise was frowning. Delta looked between the two of them before quietly removing his hand from Louise’s and exiting the train. Sinclair hung back, watching them.

“Do you remember when Eleanor disappeared?” Lakshmi asked.

“I…do.” Louise nodded slowly.

“It turns out she got turned into a Little Sister and bonded to Delta.” Lakshmi continued. “And since we don’t know how Eleanor got from point A to point B, Aunt Grace made some…assumptions.”

Louise was quiet for a strangely long time. This worried Lakshmi more than anything other reaction probably would have. She’d expected Louise to be upset, to ask why Grace would be mean to someone who didn’t deserve it. Louise had idolized Grace when they’d been younger. Lakshmi had assumed Louise would be devastated at the idea of Grace being anything less than perfect.

“She thinks Delta took Ellie, doesn’t she?” Louise finally said. “Because Ellie ended up bonded with him.” She sounded…cold, detached.

“Yeah. Are you okay?” Lakshmi took Louise’s hand.

“I’m fine, Lucky.” Louise’s voice regained some cheerfulness, but it sounded forced. “Don’t worry about it. I’m sure once we talk to Aunt Grace she’ll understand.”

“I’m sure she will.” Lakshmi’s expression softened. “But, uh, we are trying to get Eleanor away from Dr. Lamb, so…Aunt Grace isn’t going to be very nice to either of you until you find her.”

“Okay.” Louise pulled away, heading for the door.

“Be careful!” Lakshmi called after her. Then the train door shut.

“You didn’t tell me you two know Delta’s girl,” Sinclair said. “Nor that you knew ol’ Gracie.” He’d stayed out of sight for the conversation, not wanting to test Lakshmi’s patience. When it came to her sister, he knew he shouldn’t push her.

“None of your fucking business.” Lakshmi snapped, pushing past him.

As Louise exited the train car, Delta made a concerned noise. She looked withdrawn, her shoulders hunched and her arms close to her chest.

“I’m okay.” She said. Delta put a protective hand on her shoulder, making the concerned noise again.

“I’m okay.” She repeated. The forced cheerful tone had returned. Delta wanted to push, wanted to make her tell him what was wrong, wanted to make her feel better. He couldn’t do that when he couldn’t talk, though. Besides, she’d probably just clam up if he pushed too hard. So he withdrew, taking his hand away. Together, they began to make their way through the corridors to wherever it was Grace was.

“She lives in the Sinclair Deluxe,” Louise said as they moved. “I used to live there too.” She kept looking out the glass windows at the sea around them. The light from the surface that filtered down didn’t reach quite this far down, but glimpses were still visible if they looked closely. Delta couldn’t see her face because of the helmet, but she seemed sad. He could understand that. He didn’t know what girls went through to become Little Sisters, but he imagined it wasn’t pleasant. His own transformation probably hadn’t been pleasant either.

They had to kill a few splicers who were worshipping at a Little Sister vent, presumably part of Lamb’s cult. Upon seeing Louise with Delta, the splicers had reacted with disbelief. They’d said something about Delta corrupting her. Just hearing them say that made Louise’s blood boil. What right did they have to pretend they cared about her?! They’d never asked her name or treated her like a person! They’d used her! They’d all used her! She felt no joy in killing them, though. No catharsis. They were pawns, just as she had been. Delta touched her shoulder again once the splicers were dead. She realized she’d probably been standing there for a little too long, staring at the corpses.

“Sorry.” She laughed weakly. “You’d think I’d be used to this by now, huh?” Delta made the concerned noise again, patting her helmet.

“Anyway, um, I used to live around here.” Louise quickly tried to change the subject, gesturing around the corridor. “It, uh, it didn’t used to look like this, I swear.”

“The graffiti’s new.” Lakshmi’s voice crackled from the radio. “ _We will be reborn_. What a load of bullshit.”

“Now now, you shouldn’t go mockin’ these people for their beliefs.” Sinclair chided her. “They really believe in this stuff.”

“I’m not mocking them, I’m mocking Lamb.” Lakshmi didn’t even look up at him. “She’s the one preying on these people.”

Louise hunched her shoulders again. The thought of Lamb conjured up a whole cocktail of feelings. Anger at being used, fear of the doctor’s power. She’d only ever met Lamb once or twice before being turned into a Little Sister. She didn’t have fond memories of those meetings. Lamb had terrified her with her cold and clinical manner. She’d felt as though Lamb didn’t see a person when she looked at her. She certainly hadn’t thought of Louise as a person while she’d been a Little Sister. She could claim to be a savior all she liked, but at the end of the day, Lamb was just as bad as Ryan. Perhaps worse.

“The hotel’s over here.” She mumbled, moving away from the makeshift altar. The sight of the Fishbowl Diner made her breathe a sigh of relief. It felt familiar. Safe. She’d spent a lot of time there with her parents. Her mother had worked there at one point. Louise had thought she looked so lovely in her waitress outfit. She’d begged her mother to let her try it on, hoping she’d look just as beautiful as her mother if she wore it. For a moment, she could almost pretend that everything was alright. If she stepped into the diner, her mother would greet her and give her the smile that had always made Louise feel as though everything was going to be okay. But the second she and Delta stepped into the chamber; Grace’s voice began to echo from speakers they couldn’t see.

“I remember you, monster. You stole Eleanor from me…twisted that baby girl into a thing so sick it can’t even die…” The anger and hatred in Grace’s voice made Louise’s stomach turn. She’d heard her Aunt Grace angry before, but never like this. “And now you come swanning into my neighborhood looking for me? Dragging that poor kidnapped girl with you? Wrong turn, Tin Daddy. When we hang you from a streetlight, and you’re choking out your last…I want you to remember my face…”

In the train car, Lakshmi stared grimly at the screen. She knew the hatred Grace harbored for the Big Daddies. She’d heard Grace’s tearful rant after she’d seen Eleanor with Delta. She should have told her what the Big Daddies truly were, should have tried to set her straight. But she’d just been so angry. Angry at Grace for trusting Lamb, angry at Lamb for her ideas, angry at everything and everyone.

“She’s not a bad person,” Louise said when Grace’s voice had died away. “She’s not. We just need to talk to her. She’ll understand. It’ll be okay.” She sounded on the verge of tears. Delta approached her and she pressed herself against his chest.

“If you want to come back here, Lou, you can,” Lakshmi said gently. “If it’s too hard for you, you don’t have to do this.”

“Hey now, she’s a big girl. She can handle this.” Sinclair jumped in, perhaps a bit too quickly. “You want to find your friend, don’t you, Louise?”

“Don’t you dare try and guilt-trip her into this.” Lakshmi hissed, her grip on the radio tightening.

“No, it’s okay,” Louise assured her, taking a deep breath and pulling away from Delta. “I can do this. I can.” Delta made a questioning sound. She seemed pretty upset, and he didn’t feel comfortable forcing an upset teenage girl to keep murdering people.

“I’m okay,” Louise said. “Now, let’s go.”

That was when they heard the shriek of another Big Daddy. A Rosie model was barreling toward them, a Little Sister trailing behind.

“You take care of the Rosie, I’ll get the Sister.” The light on Louise’s helmet turned red. Suddenly she was calm and self-assured, her stance that of a seasoned fighter. Delta nodded, revving up his drill. The Rosie shrieked again and charged Delta. While it was distracted, Louise darted by to scoop up the Little Sister. Her heart ached as she gathered the little girl in her arms. She’d been this little girl once.

“Big sister!” The little girl lit up, wrapping her arms around Louise’s neck. Louise felt tears begin to prick at her eyes.

“That’s right. Big sister’s here.” She murmured, patting the girl’s back. The sounds of battle were still behind them, so Louise moved away to shield the little girl from the fight.

“Your voice sounds funny.” The little girl said. “Why does your voice sound funny?” She was a little girl with dark skin and long dark hair. She looked a bit like Lakshmi. Lakshmi had always had the most beautiful long hair.

“What do you mean?” Louise tried to keep her tone light.

“You’ve got an accent.” The little girl narrowed her eyes. “Or, um, a different one.” The little girl did seem to have an accent that placed her as being from England. Louise looked around before leaning in close to the little girl’s face.

“I’m on a secret mission.” She whispered in a conspiratorial tone. “I’ve disguised my accent so I won’t arouse suspicion.”

“Oooh.” The little girl’s eyes widened. “Like a spy!”

“Yes, exactly.” Louise kept her voice as serious as she could while also fighting back laughter. “And I need your help. Do you think you can help me on this super-secret mission?” The little girl’s eyes widened and she nodded, adorably serious in her expression.

“You’re going to be the best spy.” Louise tapped the little girl’s nose. The girl giggled, covering her mouth with her hands. There was the sound of heavy footsteps behind them, signaling Delta had finished his encounter with the Rosie.

“Daddy!” The little girl wriggled in Louise’s arms. “Daddy, I’m gonna be a spy!”

“A spy?” Lakshmi’s stifled laugh filtered through the radio. “Where did that come from, Lou?” Delta let out a disapproving groan, holding the little girl to his chest.

“Gimme a break,” Louise grumbled, feeling her face heat up.

“Not a bad cover story, sweetpea,” Sinclair said.

“Who’s that?” The little girl asked, wriggling around to get her hands on the radio. “Are there more people? More people are bad for spying.”

“No no, they’re helping,” Louise reassured her. “They’re my friends.”

“What’s your name?” Lakshmi asked, still trying not to laugh. The little girl opened her mouth to reply, then whimpered and drew back, snuggling closer to Delta.

“What’s wrong?” Louise asked gently, drawing closer. Delta patted the girl’s head, making a comforting noise.

“I’m not supposed to talk to strangers.” The girl murmured. “Mama says they might hurt us.”

“They’re not going to hurt us,” Louise said gently. “They’re going to help us.”

The girl hesitated for another moment or two before replying. “Fariha. Fariha Sultana.”

In the train car, Lakshmi’s expression softened.

“That’s a lovely name.” She whispered.

“You’d best keep that little dumpling with you for the time being, Chief,” Sinclair said. “Unless you’ve changed your mind on harvesting them?”

“Not happening.” Lakshmi’s expression darkened, her entire body tensing.

“Well, at least you’ll be able to get some ADAM out of her.” Sinclair shrugged. His words and tone left a bad taste in Louise’s mouth. He wasn’t even trying to endear himself to them, was he? She wondered if he was planning on betraying them when he thought they’d outlived their usefulness. Just like everyone else in this city.

“Let’s keep going.” She said.

With Fariha safely perched on Delta’s shoulders, they continued. The Sinclair Deluxe wasn’t far but supplies had to be gathered. Delta didn’t technically need to eat, but the rest of them did. They didn’t know how long they’d be down here. Not to mention, Delta needed ammo and all that. Louise was also stalling, although she wasn’t about to admit that. She didn’t want to face Grace. Not after so long. Not after hearing what she’d said.  

_Monster…_

_Twisted that baby girl into a thing so sick it can’t even die…_

Would Grace think **she** was a monster? Grace probably thought she was dead. It didn’t seem like Lakshmi had told her about Louise’s miraculous rescue from Lamb’s control. It didn’t seem like Lakshmi had told Grace much of anything, actually. She wondered if something had happened between the two of them. She wouldn’t be surprised if they’d had some sort of fight and had both been too stubborn to make up with one another. Especially Lakshmi. Her anger could sometimes get the best of her.

Suddenly, she felt a tap on her shoulder. She jumped, spinning around. Thankfully, it was only Delta. He made a concerned groan. Fariha was still on his shoulders, although she’d become engrossed in studying the neon sign above the Fishbowl Diner.

“Oh, um, sorry.” Louise laughed weakly. “I was lost in my thoughts there. Should we head to the Deluxe?” Delta nodded, stepping back to allow her out of the alcove she’d stepped into.

“Before you head to the hotel, maybe you should send Fariha back here.” Lakshmi’s voice crackled out of the radio. “It’s probably better not to have her in the middle of any fights with splicers.” There was a scoff on her end, presumably from Sinclair, but he didn’t say anything.

“That’s probably true.” Louise agreed, turning her attention back to Delta. “You can cure her, right? I saw you do it on another Little Sister.” Delta nodded, taking Fariha off his back and holding her in the crook of one arm. He put his free hand on her head and the room was briefly filled with golden light from the plasmid. When the light faded, Fariha remained, although the yellow in her eyes was gone.

“Thank you.” She smiled shyly up at Delta. “I’m sorry for crawling all over you.” Delta patted her head and set her down.

“Can you find your way back to the train car?” Louise asked. “You’ll be safe there.” They didn’t know where Tenenbaum was right now, so it was better to send the girl to the train. Fariha screwed her face up in thought.

“Um…I think so?” She replied after a few moments.

“Are you sure?” Louise frowned beneath her helmet. “I can take you back if you like.”

“I can do it!” Fariha said indignantly. Before Louise could object, she’d turned on her heel and scrambled into a vent. Louise sighed heavily.

“Now you know how I felt whenever I babysat you.” Lakshmi stifled a giggle.

“Oh, shut up.” Louise rolled her eyes. She gestured to Delta and the two started toward the door to the Deluxe. She tried to ignore how much her heart was pounding. It would be okay, right? It had to be okay. Grace would be happy to see her. It would be fine. Right?


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It turns out talking to Grace might be harder than expected.

“Seems a waste to just let her go like that,” Sinclair remarked as soon as Lakshmi turned the radio off. “Little dumpling’s a walking ADAM factory, after all.”

“She’s a child, not a thing to be used,” Lakshmi growled. “Besides, Lamb already kidnapped her from her family to use her. I don’t want to continue that cycle.”

“Alright alright.” Sinclair put his hands up. Lakshmi muttered something that was probably rather rude under her breath, getting up to go wait for the little girl by the train car door.

“You know, I just had a thought,” Sinclair said. “If you know ol’ Gracie, why didn’t you just go talk to her? She’d recognize you, would she?” He scooted over a bit so he could see her reaction. Lakshmi stood with her back to him. He could tell the question had hit a bit of a nerve as her whole body was tensed and her shoulders were hunched.

“We haven’t…talked in a while.” She answered after a moment.

“Why ever not?” Sinclair asked innocently.

Lakshmi shot a glare back at him. “I’m not on good terms with Lamb. We don’t exactly see eye to eye when it comes to Big Daddies and the Sisters.”

“And Gracie shares the good doctor’s views.”

“Yeah.”

“I’m surprised. I would’ve thought you’d tell her everything.” Sinclair chuckled. “Give her another reason to hate me.”

“Why are you even asking me this?” Lakshmi snapped, whirling around to face him. She’d been mostly calm since Louise and Delta had left. There hadn’t been much yelling or spitting venom at Sinclair. She hadn’t been **happy** to be stuck in the car with him, but she’d tolerated it now that she had a mission. Now, though, her anger had been ignited once more.

“Hold on now.” Sinclair balked once more at her fury. “I was just curious.” Lakshmi opened her mouth to start another tirade, but thankfully for Sinclair, a knock on the train door interrupted her. Lakshmi froze, took a deep breath, then turned and opened the train door. Fariha stood there, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet. Her eyes lit up upon seeing Lakshmi.

“You’re awfully pretty!” She exclaimed. “You look just like my big sister!” Immediately Lakshmi’s expression softened.

“Thank you, sweetheart.” She said, gently guiding Fariha inside and closing the door behind them.

“My big sister has long hair,” Fariha said. “Did you used to have long hair?”

“I did.” Lakshmi led her into the train car, settling down beside a box. “My dad liked braiding it.”

“Baba likes to braid my hair too. And I like braiding my sister’s hair.” Fariha sat down beside her. “Do you wanna braid my hair?”

“I would love to,” Lakshmi replied. She maneuvered the little girl into her lap, taking her hair out of its ponytail and carding her hands through it to try and brush it a bit before she began. Sinclair just watched them. He’d pressed himself to the other side of the car. He wasn’t…fond of children. They were loud and messy and he was never quite sure what the proper way to talk to them was. He would have preferred to just hand the girl off to Tenenbaum, honestly. But Lakshmi had said it would be safer for Fariha in the train car since they didn’t know where Tenenbaum was. He just hoped he wouldn’t have to take care of the little brats himself.

 

Louise instinctively drew in a breath as they stepped into the glass hallway overlooking the Sinclair Deluxe. The sight of the rusted neon sign, a bit askew now, the golden metal arches holding the glass, the wave of nostalgia that hit her from seeing it was almost enough to knock her off her feet. She so vividly remembered running barefoot down these hallways while someone chased after her. Sometimes it had been her parents, sometimes it had been Lakshmi. They’d always told her that she needed to be more careful. She should have listened to them. Her lower lip quivered. She missed her parents. She missed them so much. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to calm herself. There was still the possibility that her parents were out there. And if they weren’t…At least she would have closure. When she turned to tell Delta that they should head in, she found him going the wrong direction. She stifled a giggle.

“The entrance is this way.” She said, gesturing for him to follow. The moan Delta made sounded almost sheepish as he fell into step behind her. They opened the door to the Sinclair Deluxe, and Louise was once more hit with a wave of nostalgia. The hotel had certainly seen better days, but this was still definitely the place she’d called home for so long. The walls were now plastered with propaganda posters from Lamb. A surge of anger welled up in Louise’s chest. She strode forward, ripping the posters down and throwing them to the ground.

“What do I see ahead?” She muttered, tearing the posters into pieces. “Freedom. That’s what I see. Freedom from you, you egotistical bitch.”

Delta stood back as she stormed around the lobby. It seemed like she needed this. While she got her catharsis, he looked around himself. It was a fairly innocuous lobby. At least, he was pretty sure it was. He didn’t have much of a frame of reference. He wandered over to the area he was pretty sure served as the reception desk. It was a little room that had previously been separated from the rest of the lobby by panes of glass. That glass had long since shattered, though, allowing better access to the desk right under the windows. In the back were filing cabinets, although Delta imagined there wasn’t much left in them. There were papers on the desk and a typewriter. Beside the typewriter was an audio diary. Delta had seen a few of these around, listening to them every so often. The ones in Ryan Amusements had been rather sad. Maybe this one would be different. So, he played it. To his surprise, Augustus Sinclair’s voice filtered out.

“Ol’ Pauper’s Drop’s the worst neighborhood in Rapture – but it’s a hell of an opportunity to raise up some, ah, affordable housin’. When Atlantic Express was constructin’ their luxury passenger line, this place was hollowed out beneath as flophouses for the railway crew. Nobody was s’posed to reside down here long-term – but when you’re broke in this town, you’re not exactly swimmin’ in alternatives. I don’t favor spendin’ more than an hour so down here at a time. There ain't a side of the tracks more wrong than under 'em.”

Delta watched the tape for a few moments after it ended. He’d known Sinclair probably wasn’t a good person. He’d known Lakshmi probably had a good reason to hate Sinclair. Still, part of him had hoped it was all a big misunderstanding. He was a bit surprised Lakshmi hadn’t commented on the tape. Maybe she was busy with Fariha right now. The girl had probably made it to the train car by now. He turned away from the tape, going over to where Louise was. She’d stopped in front of a poster for Grace’s music. **_Grace Holloway starring in The Deep Blue Revue._**

“I always wanted to go to one of Aunt Grace’s shows.” Louise murmured, letting her fingers ghost across the paper. “But my parents said they weren’t appropriate for children.” She allowed herself a small laugh, quiet and bitter. “They were probably worried I’d get swept up in a raid or something. Aunt Grace was speaking out against Ryan and all.” She sighed, her shoulders slumping.

“Let’s go.” She turned away from the poster. “The entrance is through here.” Delta lingered for a moment, staring at the poster. He wondered vaguely if he’d ever seen Grace perform. Her face looked at least a little familiar.

“Delta.” Louise tugged insistently on his hand with both of hers. Her voice briefly took on a bit of a whine. It was really cute, causing Delta to smile under his helmet. He let Louise drag him over to the doors, which slid open as they approached. Before they could head inside though, the voice of a Brute Splicer echoed from further within.

“Gracie says piss off an’ die, ya tin shithouse!” He yelled. There was a rumble and smoke and rubble obscured their view. Had they not been wearing their helmets they likely would have been coughing quite a bit due to the smoke.

“What just happened?” Louise asked, taking a step toward the debris. At Delta’s hip, the radio crackled to life.

“That big lug just dropped half my damn hotel in your way, sweetpea. That’s what happened.” Sinclair replied, sounding more than a little irritated.

“I wish that could have been me.” Lakshmi sighed. “I always dreamed of destroying that place.”

“To break through that mess, I expect you’re gonna have to work out how he got so burly.” Sinclair continued unphased. “Find yourself a genetic research camera, son. You can pick up any number o’ tricks from a splicer with one o’ those. Try the pawnshop downtown.”

“I don’t understand.” Louise knelt in front of the rubble. “Why can’t we just dig our way in?” There were chunks of rebar, concrete, what might have been pieces of signs. Nothing they couldn’t move, though. Not in her opinion.

“Delta’s strong, but I don’t know if he’s **that** strong. Sinclair’s right. If you two are going to get in there, you’re going to need a little boost.” Lakshmi admitted. “Probably in the form of Plasmids.”

“A little boost?” Fariha looked up at Lakshmi, who was halfway through braiding her hair. “Like…” She lowered her voice. “Drugs?”

“No no, not like that,” Lakshmi said quickly. She didn’t know how to explain this whole thing to a child. Plasmids were complicated and the anatomy of Big Daddies even more so.

“Plasmids are more like a magic potion.” Sinclair stepped in, smiling reassuringly.

“A magic potion?” Fariha turned her attention to Sinclair. Lakshmi immediately tensed, pulling Fariha closer to her.

“Delta may be a knight in shining armor, but even a knight needs a little help every now and again,” Sinclair said. “The plasmids are like a magic potion that makes him stronger so he can help the princess.” His voice was kind and friendly as he spoke, but that didn’t mean he was genuine. Lakshmi had learned long ago not to trust anything Sinclair said, especially when he was smiling.

“That’s so cool!” Fariha’s eyes widened. “Like the fairies from Sleeping Beautiful!”

“Exactly.” Sinclair’s smile widened. Lakshmi narrowed her eyes. What on Earth was he planning?

“So, the pawnshop?” Louise stood up, dusting off her knees. Delta nodded. He couldn’t help but smile to himself, though. He liked the idea of being referred to as a knight in shining armor. It certainly made him feel better about his situation.

“My parents never let me go the pawnshop by myself,” Louise remarked as they made their way back to the main area. “But I went with Lakshmi a lot. She did a lot of odd jobs for lots of people around the Drop.” Her face fell a bit. “I guess Sinclair was asking for a lot of money from her.” She seemed lost in her thoughts for a moment before snapping back to reality.

“Sorry.” She laughed apologetically. “I’m just realizing a lot of things right now that I didn’t when I was little.” Delta made what he hoped was a sound of understanding.

The pawnshop was tucked away down a stairway in the area often referred to as “downtown”. Louise once more allowed herself to reminisce about the times she’d run down this way, her family at her heels yelling at her to slow down. The pawnshop looked about the same as she remembered. The neon sign still glowed in the dim light of the Drop, although the W in pawn seemed to have gone missing. She couldn’t remember if it had been like that before. She wouldn’t be surprised if it had been. Things didn’t often get fixed in the Drop. She could see the display cases through the glass. How incredible those cases had seemed when she’d been a child. They were probably just filled with junk, in all honestly. But to her six-year-old self, they’d been the greatest of treasures.

“Here it is.” She stopped and made a dramatic gesture. “A treasure trove of wonders!” Delta let out a snort, heading to the door. Unfortunately, it was chained shut, with a big padlock holding it in place. The chains were rusted, so it had probably been there awhile.

“What? It’s locked?” Louise peered past him. She could understand _why_ it would be locked, but part of her was surprised no one had tried to use a plasmid to bust the lock off. There had to be _something_ useful in the shop that the splicers would want.

“You’ll have to find another way in, I expect,” Sinclair said.

“Or we could just drill the lock off.” Louise motioned to Delta’s drill. Delta looked at the drill, then at the lock. Then he shook his head.

“What? Why not?” Louise frowned. Sure, the drill was for combat, but it could be used for this too. Delta shook his head again, making a motion of snapping something in half.

“Oh. You’re worried it’ll break.”

He nodded, lowering his hands to his sides.

“Well, I don’t know what another way in there might be.” Louise took her helmet off so she could get a better look around. She set it down beside Delta’s feet, starting to search the area. Delta picked it up, holding it to his chest. A few wisps of hair had escaped from her tight ponytail, although they were stuck to her forehead with sweat. She was looking forward to taking a bath once this was all over. She missed baths.

“You could probably get in through the clinic,” Lakshmi said.

Louise frowned again, turning her gaze back to the radio. “The clinic? How would that help us?”

“The clinic is right above the pawnshop,” Lakshmi explained. “You could drop down onto the roof from there.”

“That’s awfully specific information.” Sinclair’s voice was all honey as he watched the younger woman. “Might I ask how you know that?”

“A good spy always has an in, of course.” Fariha nodded in adorable solemnness. “Like James Bond.”

“Who’s James Bond?” Lakshmi asked, perhaps a bit too quickly. She was glad to have the attention off of her for the moment.

“I can’t say I recognize the name either.” Sinclair agreed a bit begrudgingly.

“How do you not know who James Bond is?” Fariha asked, her eyes going wide. “He’s a spy! From the films!”

“We’ve been down here a long time, dumplin’,” Sinclair said. “We’ve missed a few things.” Fariha got to her feet, putting her hands on Sinclair and Lakshmi’s shoulders.

“I’m so sorry.” She said.

Louise stifled a snort. Although she couldn’t see what was going on, she had some idea of what was occurring in the train car.

“The clinic, then?” She managed to squeak out, taking her helmet from Delta. Delta nodded, letting out a low rumble of laughter himself. As they headed back toward the stairs, they heard the telltale footsteps of a Big Daddy. Both tensed, readying their weapons.

“Same as last time?” Louise suggested. “I grab the girl and you take care of the Rosie?” Delta nodded, revving his drill.

They moved in perfect sync, like a couple ballroom dancing. Delta rushed the Rosie, knocking it back, while Louise snatched up the girl. Once again, she ran just out of sight so that the Little Sister didn’t have to see her “daddy” get slaughtered. Even if she wouldn’t remember anything once Delta cured her, there was still a possibility that memory would stay. However, there was a problem this time. As Louise began to open her mouth to comfort the girl, she realized something. The girl wasn’t speaking English. The little girl in her arms was wailing in a different language.

“Oh- Oh, dear.” Louise started to panic a bit.

“What’s going on? What’s she saying?” Lakshmi asked, her voice crackling from the radio.

“I-I don’t know.” Louise’s breath quickened. “I don’t know what language she’s speaking!”

“Are we yelling? I like yelling!” Fariha started to bounce in Lakshmi’s lap.

“Ssh, no, sweetie.” Lakshmi gently pushed her down.

“She’s speaking Spanish.” Sinclair looked the tiniest bit irritated. “Now, I can’t remember exactly, but I’m almost certain there were at least a few Spanish speakers down in the Drop. Surely you’ve heard it spoken before.”

“No? I don’t know!” Louise hissed, gently patting the little girl’s head. “It’s been years!”

“We have, but not enough to be fluent.” Lakshmi glanced up at Sinclair, frowning slightly. “How do you know Spanish?” All through this, the girl in Louise’s arms was getting more and more upset, especially since she couldn’t understand anything being said. Sinclair muttered something under his breath.

“You are about as useful as a steering wheel on a mule, Miss Locke.” He said, snatching up the radio. He then continued in Spanish, “<Sweetheart, it’s going to be alright. We’re not going to hurt you.>”

The girl stopped crying, her gaze drawn to the radio. Louise saw this and took it off, handing it to the little girl.

“<Daddy? Is that you?>” The girl sniffled. Sinclair pursed his lips, uncomfortable with the feeling rising in his chest at being called that. Lakshmi stared intently at him, her expression some mix of confusion and distrust. Fariha had lost interest and was playing with a can she’d found.

“<I’m sorry, but I’m not your daddy.>” Sinclair replied, trying to keep his tone as calm as possible.

“<But you were just here. I was just with you.>” The girl insisted, tears welling up in her yellow eyes. By this point, Delta had finished off the Rosie and had come wandering back. He let out a concerned rumble, pointing at the teary-eyed child.

“Sport, would you mind fixin’ up the little dumpling?” Sinclair asked. “I have a feeling we won’t be getting anywhere while she’s still like this.” Delta nodded, placing his large hand on her head. The light of the plasmid enveloped the child. When it faded, her eyes were clear, and she was afraid once more.

“<You’re…You’re not my daddy.>” She whimpered, looking back at the radio. “<Where am I? What’s going on?>” Louise’s panic surfaced again as the little girl looked on the verge of tears once more.

“<A bad woman brought you down here.>” Sinclair explained. “<We’re going to help you get back to your family.>” The girl looked at Louise and Delta. Louise scrambled off her helmet with her free hand, smiling to reassure the girl. She figured the girl would feel better if she saw that Louise was just a person too. Probably better she didn’t see what was under Delta’s helmet. It wasn’t pretty.

“<Okay.>” The girl nodded. “<Can I come to where you are? I don’t like it out here.>” She clutched the radio tighter, flinching as one of the neon signs sparked and popped.

“<Of course.>” Sinclair gave her directions back to the train car, or at least the best directions he could. He figured she could probably find her way back eventually. The girl nodded as he gave his instructions, her face screwed up in determination. When he was done speaking, she gave the radio back to Louise and gestured for her to put her down. Louise obliged, placing the girl gently on the ground. She bowed, then scurried off.

“I hope she’ll be alright.” Louise murmured as she put her helmet back on. She couldn’t imagine how terrifying it must be for that girl; waking up in a city she didn’t know, surrounded by people she couldn’t understand who couldn’t understand her. Not to mention the monsters lurking in the halls. Louise was having a hard time with all this herself. It must be Hell for someone so small. Delta put a heavy hand on her shoulder, making a noise that was probably supposed to be comforting.

“Thanks.” Louise patted his hand. “Now, the clinic.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sinclair gets a Little Sister to look after and our abominations of science finally get into the pawnshop.

Lakshmi was still staring intently at Sinclair. This time it was he who’d decided to wait by the train car door. Fariha had gotten tired and was now sleeping on Lakshmi’s jacket. Which meant Lakshmi was free to be as hostile toward Sinclair as she liked without setting a bad example. But for once she didn’t feel like being hostile. She was genuinely curious about this new revelation.

“So. You know Spanish.” She said, leaning on the door frame.

“I do.” Sinclair stood with his back to her, a reversal of the position the two of them had been in when Fariha had been making her way to the car.

“Mind me asking where you learned it?” She asked. “Because you sounded pretty damn confident when you were talking.” Sinclair tensed, his hand curling up into a fist against the metal of the door.

“Is there any chance I could convince not to pursue this?” He glanced back at her with an anxious smile. He seemed so much smaller than the man who’d haunted her nightmares. Sinclair might have been cleaner than she was, but he didn’t look any better. There were dark bags under his eyes. His skin was pale and sickly looking. He looked rather pathetic, especially with the fanny pack. She almost felt…sorry for him.

“If you’re not gonna tell me, you’re not gonna tell me.” She shrugged. “But I am curious. You don’t strike me as the sort who’d learn a language for any reason other than to help yourself, and knowing Spanish certainly wouldn’t have helped you here. The only other reason I could think of for you knowing it would be if you grew up speaking it.” Sinclair hesitated, visibly swallowing and beginning to wring his hands. Lakshmi frowned in confusion. She’d never seen him this scared before. What did he have to be afraid of?

“If you must know…I grew up in Panama.” Sinclair replied after a moment or two of dithering. Lakshmi gave him a blank look.

“Oh, darlin’. If your brains were dynamite, you couldn’t blow your nose.” Sinclair let out a laugh, the kind of nervous laughter that came from sheer relief. Lakshmi didn’t entirely understand what he was saying, but she was pretty sure he was calling her stupid. If he could call her stupid, he was probably fine.

“Look, my family came here when I was 4.” She glowered at him. “And even if I **had** gone to school here, I don’t think geography was high on Ryan’s list of things to teach.”

“Fair enough.” Sinclair shrugged, still giggling a bit. “Panama is the country linking Central and South America.”

“Okay.” Lakshmi nodded slowly, the wheels turning in her mind. “So, you didn’t want people knowing that because Ryan hates immigrants?” 

“Something like that.” Sinclair turned his attention back to the door. This was supposed to be the end of the conversation, apparently. But what Sinclair had just said raised even more questions for Lakshmi.

“Something like that? Does that mean there’s more to it?” She took a step toward him. Perhaps she was pushing too hard. Perhaps she was crossing a few boundaries. But she hadn’t spent a lot of time making small talk with other people for almost a decade now. And Sinclair wasn’t the kind of person she’d pull her proverbial punches against.

Sinclair tensed once more, before letting his shoulders fall and sighing heavily. “You don’t know who lives in Panama, do you?”

“I think we both know that I do not.”

Sinclair couldn’t help but chuckle wearily. “Let’s just say people wouldn’t treat me too kindly if they found out I’m 100% Panamanian.”

Lakshmi frowned, opening her mouth to ask something else. But the conversation was over. Sinclair turned his back on her and opened the train car door to look for the girl. Almost as soon as he opened the door, a small shape went careening into his legs.

“<Hello, sweetheart.>” Sinclair smiled softly, picking up the little girl. Her lip quivered and her eyes shone with unshed tears. His stomach twisted at how familiar she looked. Tanned skin, curly dark hair, big brown eyes. He’d grown up playing with kids like her.

“<T-There were a lot of really scary people out there.>” She whimpered, pressing her head against his chest.

“<Yes, I know. But you’re safe here.>” He began to stroke her hair. Lakshmi backed away, returning to the radio. It felt wrong to intrude on that moment. Louise and Delta hadn’t gone too far, thankfully, so she could still tell them what she needed to.

“To get into the clinic, you’re going to need a code.” She said. “The man who was responsible for the code for the clinic was Tobias Riefers. He spent a lot of time in the Fishbowl.”

“Oh! Thank you!” Louise looked at Delta. “Well, I guess we’re going to the Fishbowl.” Her stomach fluttered a bit at the thought. The Fishbowl Diner, the place where she’d spent so many afternoons. Her feet began to carry her toward the back entrance. She’d snuck in quite a few times through that back entrance. She wasn’t supposed to bother her mother while she was working, but she’d loved watching her glide about the diner, attending to customers. Agnes had been the most beautiful woman in the world to her.

Delta dutifully followed her through the back entrance and into the kitchen of the diner. It was aged and dirty, but still in relatively good shape. The Fishbowl had never been especially clean, even on the best of days. Nothing was ever clean in the Drop. Delta gathered up some canned meat and coffee as Louise stepped out into the diner proper. The seating area had seen better days, that was for sure. Parts of the ceiling were crumbling away, the electric lights either burned out or still hanging on by a thread. Boards and debris littered the floor, along with the occasional corpse.

She stumbled through the diner as if in a dream. There was the booth she’d always sat at, coloring away or simply watching her mother. There was the window she and Lakshmi had broken when they’d been playing ball one day with Eleanor. She only stopped when her foot hit something. Looking down, she found it was another corpse, clutching a pizza box to its chest. Written on the box in what might have been blood was ‘Clinic 0047’. It was circled.

“I found the code!” Louise called back to Delta. The Big Daddy came stumbling out of the kitchen, arms full of canned meats. He had his helmet off and was eating from one of the cans. There were clumps of canned meat smeared around his mouth. Louise stifled a giggle.

“We might want to get you a spoon.” She said. Delta shrugged, pouring the rest of the meat into his mouth before putting his helmet back on.

“Anyway, I found the code.” She pointed to the box. “Now we can get into the clinic.” Delta nodded, hastily tucking the supplies away in whatever pockets he could. Louise made a mental note of the code and started back toward the kitchen. She lingered once more at the door, taking another look around. She hoped her parents were alright. She hoped she wouldn’t have to fight them. Delta made a questioning moan, tilting his head to the side.

“I’m fine.” Louise murmured.

When they exited the diner, they were set upon by another wave of splicers. Neither were surprised at this point. They simply dispatched them as quickly as they could. Part of Louise was sickened by how accustomed she’d become to this. To violence. To killing. She wasn’t even considered a person anymore. Just a tool to be used. She didn’t feel any better when Grace’s voice came from the speakers after the last splicer had fallen.

“Eleanor’s grown now, baby snatcher. Even after what you did to her Doctor Lamb found a way to shape that girl into something perfect. Something holy. She’s a daughter to us all. Nobody in Rapture will shelter you now.”

“Shape her into something perfect.” Louise echoed when the noise died away. “I wonder if that’s what Ellie wanted.” There was a hint of disdain in her tone, buried underneath the layers of despair and weariness. Lamb had shaped her as well. She’d shaped all the Big Sisters. But none of them had ever asked for her “shaping”.  She took a moment to compose herself. She needed to control her anger until she was face to face with Lamb.

“It’s not your fault.” She turned back to Delta. “The thing with Ellie.”

“I don’t know how they got the Little Sisters, but it sure wasn’t from you,” Lakshmi said. “You never left the facility until you were already bonded to a Little Sister.”

By this point, Sinclair had returned to the radio, the little girl still clinging to him. Neither he nor Lakshmi was looking at each other. Neither wanted to acknowledge the conversation they’d just had.

“Her name’s Estrella Vega,” Sinclair said as he and Lakshmi watched Delta and Louise head to the clinic. “She’s 7.”

“Where’d she get snatched from?”

“Puerto Rico.”

“Hm.” Lamb had certainly cast her net pretty far. It certainly did nothing to endear Lamb to Lakshmi.

“I guess I’ll be takin’ care of her for the foreseeable future, hm?” Sinclair laughed weakly.

“You’re the only one who speaks Spanish,” Lakshmi replied, surprisingly solemn. Sinclair sighed, sitting back with Estrella in his lap.

By this point, Delta and Louise had put in the code and entered the clinic. Like everything else in Rapture, it was dirty and stained with blood. There was a particularly large pool on the floor by the reception desk. Louise grimaced at the blood but said nothing. Around the desk and up the stairs, dispatching a few splicers as they went. There was a security camera to deal with as well, which Delta opted just to smash. At Louise’s request, of course.

“I don’t want her watching me.” She said. She’d ripped down every poster of Lamb’s eyes she could, but the security cameras still carried the good doctor’s watchful eye. At least this way Lamb would know exactly where she stood.

Past the security camera, there was an examination room with a hole in the wall. A lot of the buildings had holes in the walls, but this hole led out onto the rooftops. The rooftops that led into the pawnshop. As it turned out, there was a hole in the pawnshop roof.

“I guess it’s a good thing everything’s fallen apart,” Louise mumbled, crouching near the hole. It was easy enough for her to drop down and begin looking behind the counter for the camera. Delta was a bit worried, given that he was quite a bit heavier than Louise. Part of him feared he would end up snapping his legs. But…That was a rather silly fear, wasn’t it? His body was far from fragile nowadays.

“What are you waiting for, son? The promised day?” Sinclair asked, unable to hide the testiness in his voice. “You’ve got nothing to fear from a tiny drop like this.”

“Leave him alone.” Lakshmi snapped. “I don’t see **you** trying to jump down a hole.”

“Are we playing Alice? I wanna jump down the rabbit hole.” Fariha slurred, rolling over in her sleep. Lakshmi turned away from Sinclair to pull the coat blanket over the girl once more.

“It’s okay.” Louise looked up at Delta through the ragged hole. “You’re going to be fine.” From where Delta stood, all the jutting boards resembled the hungry jaws of some horrifying monster. But Sinclair and Louise were right. He **would** be alright. So he jumped, hitting the tiled floor with a thud and a crack as the tiles cracked under his weight.

“There you go!” Louise clapped as though she were applauding a sporting event. Delta let out a sheepish groan, hunching his shoulders a bit. It was a tad embarrassing to be applauded like this. Especially by someone young enough to be his daughter.

“The camera, sweetpea.” Sinclair’s voice came through the radio.

“Oh, right.” Louise turned away to search.

The pawnshop looked the same as the rest of Rapture. It was clear from the intricate designs on the metalwork and the stained marble and tile that it had once been beautiful. However, the dirt and grime and blood, as well as the broken roof and furniture, severely dimmed its beauty.

Delta turned to look as well, spotting the camera on the counter beside him. He let out a happy groan, picking it up and displaying it proudly to Louise.

“Good job!” She gave him a thumbs up.

“That thing’s a miracle in technicolor, kid. Works like a movie camera.” Sinclair came back on. “Start the film rollin’ before you open fire on a splicer, and then anything you hit him with tells you more about his Dee-En-Ay.”

“So, it’ll tell him how to kill them,” Lakshmi concluded, frowning slightly. “Why would someone make something like that?”

“Why does anyone make anythin’ down here?” Sinclair shrugged, shifting Esmerelda a bit. She was starting to fall asleep a bit. All the excitement had probably tired her out, poor thing.

“I guess we should test it out.” Louise moved out of the counter area they currently occupied, heading for the chained off front door. Delta followed her, the camera balanced on his shoulder.

She wasn’t entirely sure how they were going to get **out** of the pawnshop now that they were in it, especially since the door was still chained. Maybe if they could draw some splicers to them, the splicers would break the chain. Thankfully, a splicer did happen to wander by. He hadn’t noticed them, stumbling along with a pipe in his hand.

Louise looked back at Delta. “Start rolling.”

The Big Daddy fumbled the camera a bit, managing to get it running as Louise began to bang on the door and scream obscenities at the splicer. This immediately got the splicer’s attention. He ran up, beginning to bang on the door. Louise planted one foot on the place where the doors met, then kicked with all her might. The chain snapped and the doors crashed open, sending the splicer flying back. Louise glided forward, Delta lumbering after her with the camera, leaping onto the splicer and stabbing her needle into his neck.

“Well, you certainly took care of him,” Sinclair said as Louise removed her needle. “In the future, though, might I suggest using a bit more…variety?” Lakshmi gave him an incredulous look. Why did it matter if they used “variety” to dispatch their enemies? All that mattered was that they killed them.

“Why?” Louise asked. Despite all her acrobatics, she didn’t sound the least bit out of breath.

“That camera can tell you what makes a splicer tick,” Sinclair replied. “What weapons are good against what kinds. Splicin’ produces all sorts of monsters after all.”

“I see.” Louise nodded, regarding the body of the splicer solemnly.

“Maybe I should carry the camera.” She suggested, looking back at Delta. “You’re the one who has the plasmids.” Delta shrugged, handing the camera over to her. Louise balanced the camera on her bony shoulder as best she could. It was heavier than she’d expected and she had a bit of trouble keeping it safely balanced.

“Alright.” She said once she was confident that she had it. “Let’s go find one of those brutes.”

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to write a Big Sister, so I'm writing one. Also someone who Sinclair wronged because there are probably a lot of those. This is gonna get pretty dark. Probably one of the darkest stories I've written.


End file.
